CARM.es - Development finances the drafting of a project with a flood zone park and a rain garden in Cartagena for sustainable water management
03/05/2022
The regional grants encourage municipalities to implement Nature-based Solutions as part of the Regional Strategy on Sustainable Architecture and Construction.
The Department for Development and Infrastructure will finance the drafting of the project to adapt Escipión park in Cartagena and turn it into a flood zone park and a water garden in the setting of San Francisco Javier school. The goal is to retain water flow during rainy periods, through the concept of sponge cities, and to create naturalized spaces for people.
This project is one of the beneficiaries of the first regional grants to implement Nature-based Solutions (NBS). It is outlined in the Sustainable Architecture and Construction Strategy (EACS) which encourages the regional Government to create healthier and safer public spaces, with a high standard of environmental quality, which help create nicer communities.
Today, the managing director of Territory and Architecture, Jaime Pérez Zulueta, and the councillor for Infrastructure at the Cartagena local government, Diego Ortega, presented this initiative with a dual aim: more natural water management through Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) and increasing landscaped and woodland areas to make life more pleasant for people in Cartagena.
"These grants inspire municipalities to join this regional Government initiative promoting a change in the construction model to adapt to climate change, natural resource management and mitigating flooding," emphasised Pérez Zulueta.
The director underlined that, in addition to sustainable water management, "this project will improve environmental quality through naturalization and increased biodiversity in this urban area, reduce the temperature by reducing the 'heat island' effect and improve the urban landscape of Cartagena".
Adapting Escipión park
Specifically, Escipión park will be adapted in order to collect, laminate and evacuate water flows, through infiltration, in an area of 2,045 square meters, with a depth of one meter, which will have the capacity to store 1,432 cubic meters of water. The park will also be revegetated with native tree and shrub species adapted to the region's climate and infiltration will be enhanced.
The project also includes a rain garden located at the San Francisco Javier school which will collect overflow and water coming from Aire de los Barreros street. Where the street meets Leoncio Sánchez Sáez, lines of gabions will be installed to keep erosion under control and draining landscaped bands will be added to capture runoff from the flood zone park.
The project has obtained a regional subsidy of 15,000 euros which will create investment of 592,000 euros. The total budget for the line of grants is 400,000 euros and will mobilize investment of 5.4 million euros.
In addition to Cartagena, the municipalities benefitting from these regional grants are Abanilla, Abarán, Águilas, Albudeite, Alcantarilla, Alguazas, Alhama de Murcia, Bullas, Cehegín, Ceutí, Cieza, Fortuna, Fuente Álamo, Jumilla, Las Torres de Cotillas, Librilla, Lorquí, Molina de Segura, Ojós, Pliego, Puerto Lumbreras, San Javier, Santomera, Totana and Yecla.
Photograph: The managing director of Territory and Architecture, Jaime Pérez Zulueta (second left) and the councillor for Infrastructure at Cartagena local government, Diego Ortega, during the presentation of the regional grant awarded to Cartagena local government to draft the implementation project for Nature-based Solutions (NBS) in the city's Escipión park
Statements: Statements from the managing director of Territory and Architecture, Jaime Pérez Zulueta, about the regional grant awarded to the Cartagena local government to draft the implementation project for Nature-based Solutions (NBS) in the city's Escipión park
